Removal of oil from the surface of water by oil booms and skimmers provided with rotating brushes is an advanced and functional technique. In addition, particularly in limited areas, such as basins, oil is effectively collected by the so-called rope mop technique. The rope mop is a long endless rope which is made into a soft and thick weave, a hairy yarn structure or an equivalent airy assembly floating in water. It can be circulated through appropriate deflection wheels provided on the surface of water and raised onto a drive wheel so as to be squeezed clean before being conveyed back into water. This way, the rope mop absorbs impurities from the surface of water. Its yarn structure and thereby the absorbency may vary according to the quality of the impurity being currently collected. In addition, devices have been developed for recovery of oil among ice, at least to a certain extent. However, in accidents occurring in winter, oil often migrates under the solid ice, in which case the known oil collection techniques are not working.